Childhood Psychology Exam 3 Chapter 11

3. Insecure/Avoidant Attachment

Indifferent toward caregiver & may even avoid caregiver - in Strange Situations: seem indifferent towards their caregiver before the caregiver leaves the room & indifferent or avoidant when they return - If these children become upset when left alone, they are easily comforted by a stranger as by the caregiver

1. Secure Attachment

Infant or child has a high quality, unambivalent relationship with his/her attachment figure - In Strange Situation: maybe upset when the caregiver leaves but happy when they return, recovering quickly from any distress - Can use caregivers as a secure base for exploration - About 2/3 of American middle class children are securely attached

Four Identity Statuses

Marcia: Developed a method in which participants are interviews the extent of their exploration of and commitment to issues related to occupation, ideology, and sexual behavior 1. Identity-Diffusion Status: doesn't have firm commitments and isn't making progress towards them 2. Foreclosure Status: Individual has not engaged in any identity experimentation 3. Moratorium Status: Stille exploring 4. Identity Achievement Status: Individual has achieved a coherent and consolidated identity - Most young adolescents seem to be in confusion or foreclosure

Older Children

- Self-reflect cognitive advances in their ability to use higher order concepts that integrate more specific behavioral features of the self - This allows older children to construct more global views of themselves - results in a more balanced and realistic assessment of the self although they can feel sense of insecurity - Children's self concepts are increasingly based on others evaluations of them (particularly peers), therefore self descriptions frequently focus on social elements and factors that influence their place in social networks

Early Childhood: The Self

- Sense of self becomes more apparent when children can look in a mirror and realize they're looking at themselves (18-20 months) - Smudge test: Mom puts lipstick on daughter's forehead, first test she doesn't recognize that the person in the mirror is herself, 6 weeks later she does - Children begin to recognize themselves in photographs (2 years) - Exhibit shame & embarrassment & try to determine their activities & goals independent of their parents (2 years) - Children also begin using language that identifies them as an individual (2-3 years)

Internal Working Model of Attachment

- The child develops a mental representation of the self, of attachment figures, and of relationships in general - This working model guides children's interactions with caregivers and other people in infancy and at older ages

Mary Ainsworth

- Worked with Bowlby & expanded on his work - Strange Situation - Infant placed in a room with mother and stranger, after child get comfortable, mother leaves child alone in the room with strangers & observe how the infant reacts, developed 4 attachment types from this

Attachment Theory

- John Bowlby's Attachment Theory: Children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments with caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survival

John Bowlby

- Secure Base: An attachment figure's prescience that provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the infant or toddler to explore the environment

Parental Sensitivity

- Securely attached 1 year old: parent tends to respond quickly & read babies signals accurately, many positive exchanges between the infant & the mother - Insecure/Resistant: Parents tend to be inconsistent, sometimes they respond promptly, sometimes they don't, mothers tend to be highly anxious & overwhelmed - Insecure/Avoidant: Mothers tend to be indifferent & emotionally unavailable, occasionally attempting infants attempts at closeness - Disorganized/Distressed: Mothers sometimes exhibit abusive, frightening, or disoriented behavior (may be dealing with unresolved trauma)

Childhood: The Self

- As children progress through childhood, their conception of themselves becomes increasingly complex - Susan Herter: Studies children's typical self-descriptive statements at different ages - Example of 3 year old describing herself: Describe concrete attributes (favorite things, hair color), description all over the place - 3 to 5: Understand themselves in terms of concrete, observable characteristics related to physical attributes, physical abilities & activities, social relationships, and psychological traits - Tend to be unrealistically positive - Example of elementary school student: says negative & positive things about self, description not all over the place. - Social Comparison: Comparing aspects of one's own psychological, behavioral, or physical functioning to that of others in order to reevaluate oneself; compare in terms of their characteristics, behaviors, & possessions

The Self & Adolescence

- Conceptions of self change in fundamental ways across adolescence, due to the emergence of abstract thinking - Adolescents can conceive of themselves in terms of abstract characteristics that encompass a variety of concrete characteristics and behaviors - Concern over their social competence and social acceptance of others - Adolescents can conceive themselves in terms of a variety of selves - Characterized by personal fables: a form of egocentrism that involves belief uniqueness of one's own feelings and thoughts - "but you don't know how it feels - Imaginary audience: belief that everyone else is focused on the adolescent's appearance & behavior

Factors that Impact Security of Infant's Attachment

- Differences in parental interaction with children - Parental sensitivity: important factor contributing to the security of an infant's attachment, can be exhibited in variety of ways, such as responsive caregiving & engaging in coordinated play

Long Term Effects of Security

- Grow up to better adjust & more socially skilled - Have closer, more harmonious relationships with peers (more regulated, sociable, and socially competed with peers) & are less anxious - Better able to understand others' emotions - Predicts to postive peer & romantic relations & emotional health in adolescence - Tend to be more attentive & involved in school

Strange Situation Across Cultures

- In other countries, findings for the Strange Situation supported the attachment types found by Ainsworth - % of each type vary by culture - Some differences - Japanese infants did not reveal insecure/avoidant behavior - Possible due to the "oneness" between mother and child - Possibly due to the lack of separation from their mothers that Japanese infants experiences at the time

The Self in Infancy

- Infants appear to have a sense of self - Sense of their ability to control objects outside of themselves (2-4 months) - Understanding of their own bodily movements (3-5 months) - Separation anxiety (8 months) - Can follow a pointing finger to find an object & give objects to an adult in an apparent effort to engage the adult in activities (12 months)

4 Phases of Attachment

1. Pre-attachment Phase (Birth - 6 weeks): Infant produces innate signs that bring others to his/her own side & is comforted by the interaction that follows 2. Attachment in the Making (6 weeks to 6-8 months): Phase in which infants begin to respond preferentially to familiar people 3. Clear Cut Attachment (Between 6-8 months and 1.5-2 years old): Characterized by the infants actively seeking contact with their regular caregivers & typically showing separation protest or distress when the caregiver departs. 4. Reciprocal Relationships (1.5 years old - 2 years on): Involves children taking an active role in developing working partnership with their caregivers

2. Insecure/Resistant (or ambivalent)

Clingy & stay close to their caregiver rather than explore the environment - In Strange Situation: tend to become very upset when the caregiver leaves the room, not readily comforted by stranger - When caregiver returns, not easily comforted & both seek comfort & resist comfort

4. Disorganized/Disoriented

Was subsequently identified - Infants seem to have no consistent way of coping with the stress of the Strange Situation - Behavior often confuse or even contradictory, & they often appear dazed or disoriented